Preferred laptop size

[MurphCID]

What size laptop do you prefer for your Linux experience? I like 14" laptops for the most part, I have two 15.6" but overall I prefer the 14" size.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I voted 17". My old eyes don't appreciate smaller screens. It also makes having multiple windows open side by side more practical.

[Marie SWE]

I voted 17" as I like my old laptop best for the big screen... But I do also have one 14" and one 15" I use
But best is desktops.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...But best is desktops.

I totally agree. You can use larger monitors and have more than just one. Also, they are usually more durable when used hard and can have far more storage capacity.

[MurphCID]

Point, but also many have laptops, some of which can run a second monitor.

[majpooper]

Well of course I would prefer a 17" - I am just to cheap to buy one.

[MurphCID]

Too big for me, I will stick with the smaller ones in my easy chair or Coffeeshop. I look at laptops as "road warrior" type devices.

[dave0808]

For me, this is one of those questions dependent on situation. I had a 17" laptop when I didn't have space for a full desktop and wanted to be slightly mobile. Later I had to do a lot of traveling and soon got fed up carrying the old beast around, so dropped to a 13".

Of course, nowadays with screens that have no bevel, one can have a bigger screen for the same overall size than before.

[Portreve]

Big laptops are cool and all, and I suppose if I needed a workstation laptop that's the way I'd go, but what I discovered years ago when I owned a 15" PowerBook G4 (and then wound up inheriting two others when a friend of mine passed away) is that that's bigger than I want to have to lug around regularly.

My 2020 M1 MBA is more than big enough for me for what I mostly do on it.

Incidentally, I connected it to my external 23" Acer monitor, and while it 100% worked correctly, it's too low-resolution a monitor to actually look decent under macOS. Somewhere down the road when I eventually buy a 4K display, I'll try it out, but for the time being, I'm more than happy to live within 13" of desktop real estate.

[MurphCID]

Big laptops are cool and all, and I suppose if I needed a workstation laptop that's the way I'd go, but what I discovered years ago when I owned a 15" PowerBook G4 (and then wound up inheriting two others when a friend of mine passed away) is that that's bigger than I want to have to lug around regularly.

My 2020 M1 MBA is more than big enough for me for what I mostly do on it.

Incidentally, I connected it to my external 23" Acer monitor, and while it 100% worked correctly, it's too low-resolution a monitor to actually look decent under macOS. Somewhere down the road when I eventually buy a 4K display, I'll try it out, but for the time being, I'm more than happy to live within 13" of desktop real estate.

For me that is the secret, it is bigger than I want to lug around. If I had to get a Windows laptop to lug around, I would look at a Lenovo X1 Carbon, or an HP Spectre. For lugging around I find I want smaller and lighter.

[Portreve]

For me that is the secret, it is bigger than I want to lug around. If I had to get a Windows laptop to lug around, I would look at a Lenovo X1 Carbon, or an HP Spectre. For lugging around I find I want smaller and lighter.

I've never owned what one would call a "PC laptop" but now that I have one in my possession (it's a 14" running 1920x1080) I think it would still be within my comfort range for carrying around.

[MurphCID]

For me that is the secret, it is bigger than I want to lug around. If I had to get a Windows laptop to lug around, I would look at a Lenovo X1 Carbon, or an HP Spectre. For lugging around I find I want smaller and lighter.

I've never owned what one would call a "PC laptop" but now that I have one in my possession (it's a 14" running 1920x1080) I think it would still be within my comfort range for carrying around.

I think that you will find that it is not uncomfortable. I am currently at Starbucks with the Lemur Pro since I cannot take the time to drive to Black Rifle (30 minutes away), due to the General Contractor coming to the house later.

[antikythera]

I have tried 14" but struggle with a smaller screen and crammed in keyboards with compromised layouts. My current one is 16:10 16" 2560x1600 which is a slightly taller aspect ratio but same width as a 15.6" laptop and has a full size keyboard with a very nice action.

I'm happy to lug mine around, a 2021 Legion 7 16ACHg6. It's obviously not an ultra-portable but for a gaming laptop it's surprisingly thin and light in the general scheme of gaming laptops (2.5kg), I also get a full day's work out of the battery. My old HP Compaq nx9105 weighed more and was thicker.

[MurphCID]

I have tried 14" but struggle with a smaller screen and crammed in keyboards with compromised layouts. My current one is 16:10 16" 2560x1600 which is a slightly taller aspect ratio but same width as a 15.6" laptop and has a full size keyboard with a very nice action.

I'm happy to lug mine around, a 2021 Legion 7 16ACHg6. It's obviously not an ultra-portable but for a gaming laptop it's surprisingly thin and light in the general scheme of gaming laptops (2.5kg), I also get a full day's work out of the battery. My old HP Compaq nx9105 weighed more and was thicker.

For my use case the keyboards on the Lemur Pro and the HP Dev One do not feel cramped at all, and I have come to really like not having a numpad on a laptop, even the 15.6" ones. The Spouse Unit's HP Envy (AMD Ryzen) does not have one, and I have come to like it a lot.

[antikythera]

The half-height keys get me as I touch type but also have large hands from years of manual work and conversely keyboard and guitar playing. I find myself hitting the wrong buttons consistently and even bought a full-size bluetooth keyboard for my tablet because of the same issue with the onscreen keyboard. My mother has an HP14 which has reasonably large keys but it's still not a standard layout.

[MurphCID]

The half-height keys get me as I touch type but also have large hands from years of manual work and conversely keyboard and guitar playing. I find myself hitting the wrong buttons consistently and even bought a full-size bluetooth keyboard for my tablet because of the same issue with the onscreen keyboard. My mother has an HP14 which has reasonably large keys but it's still not a standard layout.

I feel your pain, most laptop computer keyboards are terrible. I will say that the one on the Dev One is the best I have ever used on any laptop. Mu issue is that certain keys on the Lemur Pro seem to be oil and dirt magnets.

[MurphCID]

I always got 15.6 inch screens in my laptops and i usually hook up an external 19 to 22 inch monitor to them so it doesnt really matter. I use my laptops like desktops i get external keyboards mice speakers etc, always did it that way.

Never did that,but I can see where it would be nice. There are days I wish I could have a second monitor with the laptop since I use it so much on my desktop computer.

[MurphCID]

Monitors are cheap on amazon get one and hook it up, its a nice extra.

I want something that can go in the messenger bag, I saw an article about using an iPad as a second monitor which would be excellent.

[JosephM]

It depends on what's if for. One thing I always want is a keyboard with a dedicated num key bad. I have a 15" HP that's light and thin that is great for packing around. I also have a 17" Oryx Pro which is my workhorse around the house. But it's not really practical for packing around. I also have a desktop with dual monitors but the laptops are nice for not being chained to a desk in some other room.

[smawgmaw]

I use my laptops as "desktops" so I prefer a 15" screen or larger. If I am on the go, I bring my 13" "netbook" with me for more portibility.